Ice-making machine.



w. M. PRUETT; O ICE MAKINGl MAGHINIVI. A PPLlOATION FILED DML-30, 1908.'

Patented Nov,1,1910'.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

WILLIAM M. PRUETT, OF GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALEf '1.0

' WILLIAM A. BYERLY, OF BRIDGEWATEB, VIRGINIA.

:[(IiE-l/IAIKING MACHINE.

I Specification of Letters Patent.

I Patented Nov. 1, 1910.

Applica-tion flied neeember so, 1909. serial No. 535,687.

. a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Greensboro, in the county of Guilford and State of /North Carolina, have invented a new and usefulA Ice-Making Machine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to retrigerating, cooling or ice machines of thel compression type, and has for one of its objects to provide an extremely simple, inexpensive, practical and eflicient machine of this character which is especially designed for domestic, hotel, institutional and other uses, where economy and simplicity in the running of the machine are hi hly essential, the machine being capable o management by skilled persons, since the only attention required after theN machine is once installed, is the throwingon or off of the power for driving the compressor, the filling of the ice cans and the removing iof the ice.

Another object of the inventiony is to utilize the refrigerating medium for keeping the compressor cylinders cool to insure the proper workingof the pistons and also for obtaining a compressed gas at alower temperature than can be attained in the machines'heretofor'e used, and to carry out this feature, 'the refrigerating medium, which is preferably a gas that can be readily liquefied at a relatively low pressure with a minimun of power and which is non-'ex losiveunder vpressure or not inimical to `li ein case of leakage, -i'sby-passed through the cooling' jackets of the compressor cylinders after it t has traversed the cooling coils in the brine l tank, and vis drawn into the compression chambers of the cylinders through passages 402 in the walls' of the latter, so that there will always be a Ifull charge of' gas to be coinpressed, even if the suction valve in the piston should, for any reason, stick on its seat. I t will be understood, however, that gas will be admitted to the cylinders through the usual piston suction valves from the cooling coils by a return pipe leadin fromthe latter to the suction chambers o the cylinders, and the iow of gas through such pipe will be controlled by valves so that a full charge cannot be admitted through the suction valves and consequently the passage of gas, :from the coolin jackets to the cylinders tomake up the ful charge will be assured.

Another object of the invention is the employment of a storage tank for the refrigerating agent such for instance as sulfur doxid, which tank is connected between the cooling coils and compressor so as to act as anaccumulator whereby anavailable supply of gas will always be present to compensate for leakage land thus avoid re-cliarging lthroughout the life of the machine.. By a suitable'arrangement of valves, the gas can be removed from allvparts of the system by the operation of the pump and stored in the tank, so that repairs can be' effected without losing the refrigerating agent, a's is now necessary with ice making machines, and furthermore, whenever the machine is shut down, the gas can be confined in the tank so that there is no chance of gas leaking from the system, and another'advantage is that the compressor can be more readily started when the pistons-do not have the pressure of the gas to'overcome.

With these objects in view and others. as" twill appear as the description proceeds, the

invention comprises the various novel' features of construction and arrangement` of 'parts which will be more Vully described hereinafter andset forth with particularity in the claims appended vhereto.,`

In the accom anying drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, the figure is a diagrammatic view of the ice `making, refrigerating or cooling machine,

showing a portion of the compressor in section. t 1 Referring to the drawing, A designatesa compressor which is 1preferably made .in two sections 1. and 2,' eac composed of separate cylinders c and c having pistons 2a. The

pistons areconnected by rods 3 with cross heads 4 and the latter are connected by rods 5 with a four-throw crank shaft 6, which Ashaft is driven in any suitable manner, as

for instance, by a pulley 7 around which passes a driving be t By this arrangement, more even runnin is insured than with a sin le or double cy inder compressor.-

Each section` of` the compressor has .the lower ends of its c linders opening into suction chambers 9 w ich are provided with stuffing boxes 10 through which the piston ioo rods reciprocate, and `the heads of the cylv inders are provided with ports 1l controlled by spring compressed discharge valves 12.

The ports 11 communicate with a common outlet chamber 13 which is connected with a discharge pipe 14 equipped with a cut-olii` valve 15 and a pressure gage 16. The cylinders of each section are surrounded by a cooling jacket 17 that extends over the heads of the cylinders to cool the parts which are heated by the compression of the gas.- The walls of the cylinders are'provided with one `or more passages 18 which `have ports 19 communicating with the cooling jacket and through the pistoiiiand lthrough the passages 18. It willl thus be seen that if the piston valves stick, for any reason, as in starting the compressor after it has been shut down,

the gas will pass into the cylinder directly The compressorfrom the cooling jacket. can operate in thismanner effectively until the parts become heated and the valve loosened from its seat, when gas will be also drawn in through the piston from the suction chamber 9.2;- i

The pipes 14 of the twosections of the compressor unite in a single pipe 22 which conducts the` relatively hot compressed refrigerant through anordinary condenser 23 through ivhich Water flovvs by the pipes 24 and 25. The cooled refrigerant passes out of the condenser through the pipe 26 having the valve 27 and connected with the header 28. This header 28 connects with a manifold Q9 at separate points and is provided with expansion valves 30 of the usual construction, the manifold 29 supplying eX- panded gas to the cooling coils 31, submerged as usual in theI brine tank. The discharge end of the coils is connected with a manifold 252 from which the refrigerant flows through ay return pipe 33,V the coils having individual valves 34 for cutting them into or out of the system, as required. The rel urn pipe 3S is provided with branches` 34 and S5 that connect respectively with the suction chambers 9 of the sections 1 and 2 of the compressor, so that both sections of the latter will draw the gas from the cooling coils. In each branch of the return pipe is arranged a storage tank T for the gas, and the pipes are provided with cut-off valves 36 and 37 at the inlet and outlet sides of the tanks. In one branch of the return pipe, provision is made for charging the system with gas, such for instance as a nipple 3S to which a connection may be made with the charging carboy, this nipple being rovided with a valvev 39 which is norma y closed when the machine is in operation, and between the point Where the nlpple connects with the pipe and the compressor, is a valve 40. All the Gas is not returned from the coil through the' branches 34 and 35, but a by-pass is provided consisting of a pipe 41 connected with the return pipe 33 and having branches '42 and43 connected with the cooling jacket 17 of the, compressor sections, and these branches have controlling valves 44.

In the discharge pipe 22 is arranged avalve which provides a vent when the system is to be exhausted for the purpose of charging, and for this purpose, a three-way valve 45 will be employed Which, when its handle is in the full line position, provides an outlet to the atmosphere through a pipe 46, and when in the dotted line iosition, closes the vent and permits the re rigerant to pass through the condenser.

In charging the apparatus, the three-way valve 45 is opened so that the discharge side of the compressor will be in communication with the atmosphere While the suction side of the system will be closed or cut out of communication with the. at-mosphere from the condenser to the suction chambers of the compressor sections. .The compressor is now started and as a result, the air is drawn out from the coil of the condenser 23, cooling coils 31, tanks T, suction chambers 9, cooling jackets 17, and the various connecting pipes, and'when the ressure, as indicated by the gage 47, is su ciently low, the valve 39 of the charging nipple 38 connected With the charging carboy Will be opened, and as a consequence, the gas will How into the airevacuated portion of the system. The threeway vent valve 45 Will, of course, be closed to prevent loss of gas, and when a sufficient quantity of gas has been supplied from the carboy, the charging valve 39 is closed when the system will be ready to operate. In operationH the gas enters the cylinders from the suction chambers 9 upon the opening of thei piston valves, and when each piston reaches the end of its stroke. gas will enter either cylinder or suction chamber by the passages 18 from the cooling jacket, since the ports 19 of said passages are always open. The valves 3T and 44 will be so relatively adjusted that the gas will be drawn into the piston chambers from the cooling jacket to insure a circulation of gas through the jacket to act as a cooling medium in the latter. On the compression stroke, the gas is condensed and discharged through the port 11 to the chamber 13, and thence flows through the pipes 14 and 22 to the condenser. The cooled refrigerant thence passes to the expansion valve which expands and delivers the gas to the refrigerating coils, and after traversing these coils, the gas is simultaneously conveyed to the cooling jackets and storage tanks by the pipes 41 and 35, respectively. The storage tanks 'are employed to provide a reserve supply of gas to compensate for leakage `so that after the machine is once charged, Vit can run indefinitely. 'By

use of the tanks, the gas can be removed any part of the apparatus can be eifect-ed without requiring the gas to be exhausted from the system and lost..` In confining the gas in the storage tanks, it is merely necessary to close the valves 36 and 44:, while the compressor continues to operate sol as to pump all of the as into the coils. `The valve 15 is then condenser or storage tanks can be made. Ii the expansion valves b e opened, the gas will gravitate, as it were', into the refrigerating coils as the gas seeks the coldest point. The expansion valves are then closed, the valve 15 opened, and the compressor is again started to create a vacuum in the storage tanks, and after this vacuum is produced, the valves 37 are closed and the valves 36 opened. Owing to the gas being under pressure in the refrigerating coils and there being a vacuum in the storage tank, it is obvious that the gas will rush into the tanks, and this action may be enforcedby continuing the operationV of the condensers until the `pressure gages 16 and 47 indicate the desired condition. When pressors are again set in motion,l the valvesf 36, 37 and 44 are opened and the necessa-r circulation of the gas immediately obtainec'i From the foregoing description, taken in connection -with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilledin the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of the' invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to Abe the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims. appended hereto.

.ters Patent, is

cIosed and repairs to the lflaving thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letl. In a machine of the class described, the combination 'of a. compressor having a discharge at one end only, a condenser ,connected therewith for cooling the refrigerating medium supplied by the compressor, a cooler connected with the condenser, an expansion valve between the condenser and cooler, a return conduit between the cooler and compressor, a coolin jacket for the compressor, and means for y-passing a portion of the refrigerating medium through the jacket from the return conduit and admitting the remainder of the medium directly to the compressor.

' In a machine of the class described, the

combination of a compressor, a condenser connected therewith for coollng the refrigera'ting medium supplied by the compressor, a cooler connected with the condensei'yan expansion valve between the condenser and cooler, a return conduit betweeny the cooler and compressor, a cooling jacket for. the compressor, controllable means for by-passing a portion of the refrigerating medium through the acket from the return conduit, and a storage tank included in the ret-urn conduit.

B. In a machine of the class described,`\the combination of a compressor, la condenser connected-therewith, a cooler connected with the condenser', an expansion valve between thepcondenser and cooler, a return pipe leading from 4the cooler to the suction side of the compressor, a storage ltank in the return pipe, a cooling jacket for the compressor, a pipe leading from the return pipe to the cooling jacket, valves in the said pipes for controlling. the supply of the refrigerating medium to the cooling jacket, and means for conducting the medium from the cooling jacket to the piston 'chamber of the compressor.y I

l, 4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a vcompressor having a plurality of' cylinder sections,l a condenser, a. refrigerant supply pipe leading fromv the cylinder sections l'to the condenser, la cooler,

anexpansion valve between the cooler and condenser, storage tanks adapted to contain refri eratingmedium, a'return pipe leading rom the coolerto both storage tanks,

means connecting the tanks withV the cylinder sections, coolin jackets-for the cylinder sections, a pipe lea ing from the return ipe to both cooling jackets,`valves inl the astmentioned pipe for controlling the supply of the "refrigerating medium to lthe individual jackets, land means for Vconducting the refrigerating medium'rom the cooling jackets of the cylinder sections to their piston chambers. f

'5. 'lhe combination of a compressor including a cylinder, a piston mounted therein, a` suction valve for admitting gas to the cylinder through the piston, a discharge valve, a cooling jacket surrounding the cylinder, and communicating means between the jacket and cylinder opened and closed by the piston for admitting gas from the jacket to the cylinder, with a condenser for receiving a refrigerant from the compressor, a cooling coil, an expansion valve between tlie condenser and coil, and separate means for conducting the gas from the cooling coil to the compressor jacket andthe suction valve of the compressor.

6. The combination of a compressor including a cylinder, a piston mounted therein, a suction valve for admitting gas to the cylinder through the piston, a discharge valve, a cooling jacket .surrounding the cyliiider, and communicating means between the jacket and cylinder opened and closed by the piston for admitting gas from the jacket to the cylinder, with a condenser for receiving a refrigerant from the compressor, a cooling coil, an expansion valve between the condenser and coil, a return pipe leading from the cooling coil to the suction valve of the compressora controlling valve inthe return pipe for regulating the sup` ply of gas to the compressor, a by-pass leading from the return pipe to the cylinder jacket, and a controlling valve in the bypass. l

7. The combination of a compressor including separate cylinders, discharge valves in the cylinders, pistons reciprocating in the cylinders, valves in the pistons admitting gas to the cylinders through the pistons, a suction chamber for each of the cylinders, a

return4 pipe connected with the suction f chambers, a coolin jacket surrounding the cylinders, and con uits in the walls of the cylinders connecting the coolin jacket with the cylinders, said 'conduits aving their discharge ends arranged to be uncoveredby the pistons when the latter reach the outer limits of their strokes for admitting gas from the cooling jacket to the cylinders, with a condenser connected with the com` pressor, a cooler connected with the condenser and with the said return pipe, an f expansion valve between the condenser and 4 cooler, a valvein the return pipe, and means for conducting gas from the cooler to the cooling jacket and thence through the said conduits to the cylinders.

8. The combination of a compressor in- -cluding a cylinder and piston, and a cooling jacket surrounding the cylinder and open` ing directly into the saine, with a condenser' connected with the compressor, a cooler connected with the condenser, an expansion valve between the cooler and condenser, and means for returning part of the gas to the cylinder of the compressor through the jacket thereof and the rest of the gas to the cylinder independently of the jacket.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM M. PRUETT. Witnesses:

G. W. ALLEN, C. W. LoYD. 

